Tax season is upon us, which means we all need to be on the lookout for a new round of tax scams.

News 12's Walt Kane is In Your Corner with what you need to watch out for.

Each year, scammers pretending to be with the IRS steal money from thousands of victims. The IRS says it doesn't make threatening phone calls - if you do owe back taxes, you'll get a letter.

"If you ever get a text message or an email, don't click any links don't respond to those. And if you if you get a phone call threatening legal action, just hang up," says Tammy Tomlins.

Scammers don't just impersonate the IRS. If you use one of the large tax preparation companies, beware of emails claiming to be from them, seeking sensitive information.

The IRS says one of the most common ways people get scammed is by using a fraudulent tax preparer.

Their advice – choose a preparer who is available year-round.

Make sure they have a tax preparer ID or P-TIN.

Don't use a preparer who won't sign your returns.

And beware of any preparer who promises large refunds.

The IRS also says it never asks for payment in unorthodox ways, like gift cards.

The agency does take payment electronically – but you need to go to the IRS's payment website.